Advanced Writers is a perfect writing company for hiring academic writers online.

Follow by Email

Interview with Tracy Weber

Posted by
Jo Linsdell
at
7:00 AM

Today I'm joined by author Tracy Weber.

What
genre do you write and why?

I’m a cozy mystery girl
through and through. I’ve loved cozy mysteries since long before I ever knew
there was a genre by that name. I certainly read other genres, but I’ve always
been drawn to crime fiction. I like writing cozy mysteries, because even though
they involve violent crime, it is generally not shown on the page. Swearing is
minimized. Sex, as in real life, is usually behind closed doors. When I write,
I become deeply involved in my characters, their lives, and the situations in
which they find themselves. Why would I want to immerse myself in gory
violence? As for sex and swearing? I’ll leave that to cable TV.

What's the best thing
about being a writer?

By far, it’s been getting to know my readers. I
feel like I’m building a community of friends in my readers, and the writing
community is very giving. More so, in some ways, than even the yoga community.
Who would have thought that a bunch of people who spend their spare time
figuring out how to kill people would be such sweethearts?

How
do you research your books?

Most of my research happens
online, though for this book I also purchased several reference books on
poisons, arrest procedures, and Orcas Island wildlife. And of course, writing a
book about my favorite vacation destination wouldn’t have been any fun without
taking a trip there myself.

I have to give a shout out to
DP Lyle, M.D., however. He is an
incredible gift to the crime writing community. I reached a sticking point when
I plotted A Killer Retreat. I can’t
give many details without spoiling the plot, but suffice it to say I needed to figure
out how to harm someone without killing them using an item that could be found
at a retreat center. I had some ideas, but none of them felt right. I contacted
DP Lyle, and he graciously shared his knowledge with me. The idea he gave me
was simply perfect.

Tell us about your
latest book.

Yoga teacher Kate Davidson has been given the
opportunity to stay at Elysian Springs—a vegan resort on picturesque Orcas Island,
Washington—in exchange for teaching yoga to the wedding guests of the center’s
two caretakers. The trip seems like a perfect, much-needed vacation until her
boyfriend Michael starts hinting that he’s ready to pop the question and her
best friend shows up unannounced and hiding a secret.

Then there’s the loud, public—and somewhat
embarrassing—argument Kate has with Monica, the bride-to-be’s stepmother. When Monica’s
body is found floating face-down in the resort’s hot tub, Kate becomes the investigator’s
number one suspect. Kate will have to solve Monica’s murder quickly, or her
next teaching gig may last a lifetime—behind bars.

Who
is you favorite character in your book and why?

Bella, Kate’s German
shepherd, of course! But I’ve really enjoyed getting to know Dale Evans. Dale
is a quirky old Southern boy who grew up in Kentucky, then moved to Seattle to
become a high-powered defense attorney. He traded in his power ties for
suspenders and goat-dung-encrusted work boots after winning a case he later
wished he had lost. Since has abandoned law to run a goat rescue, Kate calls
him the Goat Lawyer.

Dale was interesting enough
that he talked me into making him a major character in book three as well.
There’s more to his story that he hasn’t shared with me yet, and if I know
Dale, whatever it is, it’s fascinating. I have a feeling he may play a bigger
role in Kate’s life in the future. Who knows? He may even end up with his own
series.

Did
you learn anything from writing your book that was unexpected?

Yes. I realized that I
haven’t taken nearly enough vacations lately. A Killer Retreat is set on Orcas Island, which is one of my favorite
vacation spots. My husband and I used to go there multiple times a year. I had
no idea how much time had passed since we visited Orcas. until I started
researching for the book. Many of my favorite businesses on the island had
closed. Two of them even burned to the ground.

As sad as those realizations
made me, it also gave me a wake-up call. Hubby and I have been spending way too
much time on our work lives recently. We’ve made a pact to visit Orcas this
spring.

Who
designed the cover?

Nicole Alesi (http://www.nicolealesi.com/). My husband
originally hired Nicole to design the banner for my website (http://tracyweberauthor.com), and my
publisher liked the banner so much they hired her to design my book
covers. I couldn’t be more pleased with
the results!

What
is your work in progress? Tell us about it.

I recently sent my third
Downward Dog Mystery, tentatively titled Karma’s
a Killer, to my editor at Midnight Ink. This work has been intriguing,
because in the process of writing it, Kate told me a lot more about her
background.

The book opens at a fundraiser
for DogMa, a fictional Seattle animal rescue. While teaching a Doga (yoga for
dogs) class, Kate meets an animal rights activist named Dharma who has a surprising
connection to her past. Two days later, Dharma is arrested for murder. The case
seems cut and dry, especially since Dharma’s ID was found at the scene and her
skin is lodged underneath the victim’s fingernails. Dharma, however, claims
she’s innocent, and Kate vows to find out the truth.

In this book, readers learn
the origins of Kate’s pogonophobia—her irrational fear of beards—as well as
discovering why she has, at least up until now, been so terrified of
commitment. Although most of the book is about Kate’s attempts at murder
investigation, Bella and her best friend Rene get her into plenty of trouble
along the way. But the most satisfying part of the book is rediscovering Kate.